30 CHEAP Ways to Stay Cool This Summer

Summer’s here! Or, close enough. Soon the days will be hotter than hot, and the kids will be out of school looking for ways to stay cool.

I’ve rounded up 30 cheap and easy ways to help keep kids cool this summer!

1. Fill dollar store balloons with water for a good ole fashioned water balloon fight!
2. Look up local water parks. Most cities and towns have them, and they’re FREE! My second-favourite four-letter word.)
3. Sponge toss! Give kids buckets of water and sponges and let them go to town tossing them, and squeezing them over their heads. Super fun!
4. Make homemade popsicles. Molds are cheap at dollar stores and grocery stores, and you can have fun making up your own fruity recipes to keep cool!
5. Buy dollar store spray bottles and see how much fun the kids have.
6. Make homemade slurpees!
7. Choose cool snacks like watermelon and frozen grapes. Staying well-hydrated helps keep cool, too!
8. Bob for apples. Seriously, this was the BIGGEST hit at my daughter’s birthday party last year! And all you need is a bucket of water and some apples.
9. If you have a blender, make your own smoothies and ice cream to beat the heat. Whipping up some banana ice cream is SO easy, just blend a couple bananas and presto — delicious creamy “ice cream”. Add some cocoa and you’ll be the best parent on the block.
10. Create beautiful ice paintings.
11. Make a water balloon target course. Using chalk, draw circles on the sidewalk and have kids try to aim and hit them with the water balloons. The resulting splashes are cooling and fun.
12. Feeling creative? Put this PVC sprinkler together. It’s a little too much work for this lazy mama, but it’s a cute idea! I’m more into buying a cheapie sprinkler and going the easy route, myself.
13. If you have a wooden fence, letting kids “paint” with water is really fun. Give them a cup of water and some brushes and let them paint with water on the wood. It dries and refreshes their “canvas”. My kids loved doing this one. They can also “paint” with the water on the sidewalk.
14. Bring out that blender again and make your own snowcones!
15. Find a kiddy pool and fill it up with cold pool water. Splashing is fun for all ages!
16. Take cool baths and showers. For extra fun, wear a bathing suit — I’m really not sure why, but kids love this.
17. Turn on the hose. That’s it. Just turn it on and the kids will figure out the rest of the fun!
18. Hide away in the basement. It’s always cooler in a basement, so find one and enjoy some indoor crafts or activities for the afternoon while the sun’s at its hottest.
19. Repurpose those water shooters or water guns to make some cute artwork.
20. Make some ice chalk.
21. Take advantage of rainy days. There’s nothing better than playing in the rain on a warm summer day, so when those rare days happen, get out and enjoy them! Walk barefoot in puddles, sit down and let the rain fall on your face. It’s so fun!
22. Melt Elsa’s Frozen hands. (I LOVE THIS!)
23. Play with frozen marbles.
24. Wash the car! Or their bikes. Get the hose and fill a bucket with soapy water. Chores have never been so fun!
25. If you have a toddler, this DIY water wall is an adorable idea!
26. Picnic in the shade.
27. Make a gigantic outdoor water bed.
28. Paint on the windows. Watered down tempera paint is pretty much the best thing ever.
29. Visit the library. It’s always cool to hang out at the library, right?
30. Find a friend with a pool and make that friend your best friend, then move into that friend’s house and stay cool in the water all summer long.